"The Indian government itself is investigating, sowe're going to let that go forward," State Department spokespersonVictoria Nuland told reporters at a news conference when asked about the Indianallegations in this regard.
"No," she said when asked if the US is part of theIndian investigation.
Morphed images and photographs of people who had died incyclones and earthquakes in Myanmar were circulated as victims of violence inAssam. Indian officials said more than 60 per cent of the offending contentswere uploaded abroad -- mostly in Pakistan -- while remaining in India.
Driven by rumours, over 30,000 northeast people had fledsouth Indian cities fearing attacks on them.
India has sought help from the US and Saudi Arabia to trackdown the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the webpages where morphed imagesand videos were uploaded.
"We have seen these reports that northeastern Indiansare returning to the northeast from cities in southern India, and these mediareports that the returns are due to concerns about personal safety. The Indianauthorities themselves have called for calm, they have provided assurances ofprotection and safety to all people," she said.
"As you know, they have called an investigation of someof the sources of the rumors that have caused people to start to move. And sowe are going to obviously watch and see how that process goes forward,"Nuland said.
On the larger question of internet freedom, she said, the UShas always been on the side of its full freedom.
"But as the Indian government continues to investigatethese instances and preserve security, we also always urge the government tomaintain its own commitment to human rights, fundamental freedoms, rule oflaw," she added.
